Love the Bomb
by bananacreamphi
Summary: Mob is peaceful. The world is anything but. AU.
1. Prologue

_Crap,_ Reigen thought, _I'm almost out of cigarettes._

It was cool December evening, and he was stuck in his office as the radio blared out warnings of some rebel tanks running down East Paprika street, the fastest route to his apartment. He could probably take a side street and make do if he really booked it, but by the time he'd finally cleaned up enough to check the reports before getting home the sun was already setting. Even The Great Arataka Reigen wasn't prideful enough to think he could survive the nighttime streets unscathed. So instead he grumbled, turned the Spirits and Such office sign back on in case he could get another customer before dark, and started chain smoking.

It had been less than twenty minutes since then. He lit another cigarette as the radio droned on about an explosion the southwest part of the city. As he stood up to dump out his ashtray he caught a brief glimpse of nearly dark sky and saw a cloud of smoke rising up, along with a couple flashes within it a few seconds later.

"Oh shi-" His eyes went wide and he dropped the whole ashtray into the can, scrambling closer to the window. "Is that..."

They hadn't bombed Reigen's apartment building, but the adjacent one was starting to collapse already from the shockwave. His eyes were glued to it in horror as it teetered over, while the announcer's voice on the radio began to panic and cloud with static. As it fell, an even larger dust cloud billowed up from it, obscuring his view of both buidings entirely. The cigarette dropped from his lips onto the cold tile floor.

It was official. The rebels were targeting civilians now. _Those_ _ **fuckers!**_

Reigen didn't bother watching the rest of the shitshow unfold. He went into autopilot, stomping the cigarette on the floor out and pulling down the black curtains over the windows. As he jogged over to the side of the room to switch of the sign off, the bells on his door jingled.

"Excuse m-"

"We're _closed!_ " Reigen bellowed, and turned his attention over to the offending voice to shoo them away.

 _Oh._

"I...I saw your ad...in the newspaper ..."

 _It's just a kid._

An elementary school boy with a bowl cut stood at the door, hands awkwardly clasped in front of him. He stared at Reigen with frightened eyes, before averting them to the ground.

"What do you want, boy?" Reigen prompted. Why the hell was a kid his age out so late?

"Oh-I'm an esper..."

" _Huh?_ "

"Sometimes I can't control my powers, and it's scary..."

Reigen scoffed at that. Walking the streets at night was scary. Food riots were scary. Hiding in a bomb shelter was scary. Being greeted by a strange kid with a paper-thin excuse for being there and a _suspiciously_ large backpack was scary. Whatever ESP nonsense this kid had been fed didn't even make the list.

"I thought...um, if you were the same as me, maybe you could-"

 _"Who told you to come here and tell me this?"_ Reigen had stepped, straightening his back and leered hard, looking as intimidating as possible. As far as he could tell the kid didn't look too dangerous, but looks were deceiving and he would take no chances.

"N-nobody..." the little boy squeaked, shrinking back a little. "I haven't been able to tell anyone about this..." An explosion cracked in the distance, and Reigen didn't miss how the kid jumped a little.

"...Alright," he said after a few seconds of pause. "Lemme see you empty out your bag. Then you can come in."

Reigen watched the boy neatly remove all the items onto the table from the corner of his eye while he brewed tea. Now he understood why it was so large; the kid had managed to cram an entire bento box and a small first aid kit in along with numerous papers, books and at least two boxes of crayons. He brought over a cup for each of them and sat, flinching a little bit at the way he stared expectantly.

"Uh, listen..." He began. "Just because you have psychic powers doesn't make you any more or less of a person." Stopping to gauge his reaction, he continued: "It's just a characteristic, like with people who can run fast, people who are good at shooting, and people who can fart quietly. Just embrace that part of you," he stood up and patted the boy's shoulder, "and live as a good person. That's all."

The child in front of him looked awestruck. "May I come talk to you again?"

"Ah, I dunno..." Reigen peered through a crack in the curtains, noting the darkness. "You should probably stay here for tonight, but I'm usually pretty busy..." he took a sip of his tea and stood up to turn the radio channel, only for his knee to bump the table and knock the other cup falling towards the kid.

"Whoa, don't get bur-"

The tea didn't get a chance to spill. Like magic, it poured itself back into the cup and stood back in its place. A faint glow surrounded the boy as it happened.

"Hey...could you see ghosts, too? And exorcise them?" When the kid nodded both times, he grinned. "Alright. We can start tomorrow."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. I'll teach you how to use your powers!"


	2. Four Years Later

"Master."  
 _"Mhm..."  
_ "Master, you have to get up."  
"In five..." Reigen mumbled.  
The boy standing in front of the bundled form on the couch frowned. He'd tried turning up the radio and opening the curtains, but no reaction.  
"Master, I'm going to lift you in the air if you don't wake up."  
"Hm?!" That seemed to finally get the older man's attention, as he turned his head and blinked. "Oh...uh, sorry. Mornin' Mob..."  
Mob smiled. "Good morning."  
As Reigen sat up and yawned, Mob walked across to the other wall of the office-turned-house they shared. Carefully turning the lock to each number, he reached in and grabbed his ID card, the plastic of its holder faintly discolored with close to half a decade of exposure to sunlight.  
"Oi, Mob, that reminds me," Reigen called, as if on cue. "We need to get that ID thing replaced, right? It's super old."  
"Yeah, it's almost expired." He looked down at it, at the picture of a beaming child with bright eyes and a fresh haircut, still giggling from earlier that day when Ritsu almost lost his balloon and climbed up a tree to get it, only for him to get both with his powers, _Brother, you're so amazing, I'm flying! I wanna have powers just like you someday, Brother-  
Ritsu—  
_The rattle of a pill bottle across the room brought him back to reality. His grip loosened on the badge and it dropped, the fabric of the necklace sliding against his fingers as it fell. By the time he closed his hand it was already on the floor. As he shakily crouched down to pick it up, the emphatic grunt and soft creaking of metal announced Reigen's full awakening. The soft taps of his cane on tile grew nearer until his head came into view from over the desk. "Oi, Mob-"  
He paused abruptly and Mob looked up to face him. His face softened a little. "Uh...you should use the shower. I'll take forever, you know how it is."  
"Yeah..." he murmured,standing up. He placed the badge in his master's hands as he walked over to the bathroom door.

"And dress warmly," Reigen added, craning his head. "My leg's aching really bad, so the weather must be awful."

"...cloudy, with a chance of snow again after two o'clock. That's it for the weather. Now, back to everyone favorite, Louis Armstrong..."  
As La Vie en Rose wafted softly through the room, Reigen carefully removed the evidence that this office was lived weren't the only squatters in the area, or even the building, but keeping up appearances was important. He shuffled from the desk back to the couch, inching down to pull out a plastic box from under it. From it, he grabbed a clean set of clothes and his own ID card, threw them onto the coffee table behind him, then dumped the blanket and pillow he'd slept with in it and kicked it back underneath. A twinge of pain zipped through his left leg and he stumbled forward into the couch. A few seconds passed before the pain lessened enough that he could relax. He turned himself over and sighed, his disciple's ID digging into his leg through the pocket of his sweatpants.  
Maybe today when they went to replace it, he could finally get some closure. The times Reigen had gone before the government offices to find them it'd been shockingly fruitless.

"It's difficult to keep track of all the citizens," one worker had said. "We haven't found anyone with the name Kageyama in the survivors tallied, and the address listed...well..."  
It was smack dab in the middle of the occupied zone. It had been formally created by the army two days after the bombings the night he met Mob; had Reigen not gotten a few key possessions from his apartment and ran, he would've been trapped there. Civilians weren't allowed in or out. Now it was a hotbed of terrorism, firefights and the occasional chemical weapon. Mob's family was probably either dead or imprisoned. Under no circumstances would he _ever_ let a kid go back to that hellhole. Still, he'd heard stories, and if there was even the slightest chance…

"Master," Mob called, "The shower hose was dripping when I turned off the sink. What should I do?"

"I'll take care of it," he grunted, running his fingers through his shaggy blonde hair. He _really_ needed to shave. "Just finish putting all this stuff away for me."

"Master, when will we be able to start going to that bath house again?"

"Not for a while," Reigen mumbled through a mouth full of canned peaches. He swallowed and picked up another one from the can they were sharing with his chopsticks. "I'm not made of money, y'know. Busy season isn't gonna be for another month or two."

"It was busy this time last, year, though…"

"With weather like _this,_ " Reigen gestured to the massive drift of snow plowed into the side of the road they were walking down, "We're lucky to get outta the ho-the _office._ "

"Maybe I could help plow people's streets for them…" Mob trailed off, glancing at his master. A few awkward seconds of silence and then, "I mean. With...with a shovel."

Reigen shrugged. He didn't really seem to care in general if he used his powers for mundane stuff like moving snow or fixing showers so long as he didn't use them against people. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Mob let the subject drop, drinking up the remaining syrup in the can before moving his face mask up over his nose and watching his master do the same. They walked in silence for several more blocks until the sidewalks appeared again, and more people appeared at regular intervals. Most seemed to be walking in the same direction as them, towards the medium-sized office building up ahead with the sign _Bureau of Citizens' Security_ in the front window of the first floor.

"It doesn't look crowded today," said Reigen. "Let's get this over with."

"Yeah," Mob whispered, pushing down a vague feeling of dread.

"Name?"

"Shigeo Kageyama."

 _I can do this._

"Date of Birth?"

"May 12th."

"Blood type?"

"O."

 _I can_ do _this._

"Do you solemnly swear to follow the constitution and all laws enacted by it and our leader?"

 _Almost done._

"Yes."

The official in front of him eyes him up and down, looking for a shred of doubt, of defiance. He doesn't seem to find any, so he nods stiffly. "Hand over your old card, boy.

Mob does so, hands shaking. He has to stare at the official's desk to make sure he doesn't drop it, and catches a glimpse of the picture–

 _Oh no._

It's too old. He can barely recognize his own face on it anymore. Could Ritsu? If they saw each other, would Ritsu recognize him? He could just imagine passing his brother by, seeing his face light up in recognition–

His face. His brother's face. What did it look like when he–

What did it look like when–

 _What did his brother's face look like?_

The new ID card dangles around his neck, the whole building feels crowded _but it's so big! Look, there's a spiral staircase all the way up to the top! Let's climb it, Brother!_

 _So many stairs, Ritsu. I'm getting tired…_

 _That's okay, there's some seats over there, let's sit and wait for_

 _I couldn't hear you Ritsu, can you say it again and turn around to look at me?_

 _It's right over here! C'mon, we're almost–_

 _Turn around and look at m–_

 _ **Mob 97%**_

 _Just look at me, please, Ritsu–_

 _ **Mob 98%**_

 _Look at me–_

 _ **Mob 99%**_

 _Look at—_

"—me, Mob!"

Reigen gripped his shoulder so tight he could feel his fingernails digging into the skin. They were standing alone in a hallway at the top floor– _when did they get to the top floor?–_ their foreheads pressed together. Reigen's felt rather hot. Mob wondered if he had a fever. Or maybe he was just too cold.

"Oh, Master." Mob hiccuped softly. "Hi…"

Then he collapsed to his knees. Reigen shakily followed suit, keeping a grip on his shoulders and eye contact all the while. "Hey, Mob. I'm all finished."

All Mob could manage was a weak "Okay" in acknowledgment. He wiped his cheek and realized it was damp. Finally seeming to register what was going on, he started wiping away the tears with his sleeve.

"C'mon," Reigen offered up a gloved hand, gesturing over to the cane and plastic bag he had dropped on the floor with the other. "I went over to the depot while I was waiting on you. There was hardly anyone there, so I managed to get some powdered milk and stuff."

The boy's eyes lit up at that. "Really? How much?"

"Tons! Let's get back already, the takoyaki machine is calling my name!"

 _ **Mob 8%**_


	3. Strength

Ritsu had never liked winter, but he hated when it began to end. Spring brought with it the intense rain of pollen, harsh weather swings from blustery cold to lukewarm and back again, and a spike in the fights between rebel groups over who controlled the city. Over the last four years, resources had gotten so scarce during the winters that every faction, the old government included, made a de facto ceasefire, giving the people a merciful respite from the war. Then, once the streets thawed out, they all took to the rubble like flies to honey and started slaughtering each other all over again. For the most part there was an unspoken agreement to stay within the uninhabited part of town, but every street bore scars from one incident or another. Unfortunately for Ritsu, almost every route from Salt Elementary to his house was damaged to the point of being unwalkable save the longest, hilliest, most indirect path.

On days like this, he could almost enjoy the walk. A layer of snow two feet deep blanketed everything, erasing the cracked pavement and broken sidewalks into oblivion. A few rusty fence posts lined one side of the road, black against the white ground and gray sky. If he squinted, he could almost pretend they were trees. The sense of normalcy was a sight for sore eyes, especially given that one of them was close to swelling shut. He paused to crouch down and scooped up a bit of snow to press on his face.

 _Man,_ he thought, wincing from the cold against his bruised face, _Those idiots sure did a number on me._

He hadn't meant to get in another fight today, not really. Recently he'd found that fighting the other bullies at school had lost a bit of its charm. Some of the other kids at school had offered to spar with him, but the one or two scuffles at recess only resulted in a kid being sent home early and another to the nurse's office with a black eye while he got lectured. He felt even worse after that than before.

When Ritsu started back on his way home, he finally got a chance to test out a theory he'd had since that afternoon. His two favorite targets, the Shiratori brothers, were huddled together at the nearby bus stop waiting for a warm, safe ride back to their shitty orphanage home. He snuck up on them, double checking to ensure neither brother notice his presence, before sliding onto the bench and clearing his throat.

Kaito, the square-headed one immediately jumped behind the rounder one and shrieked. Ritsu felt a smirk tug at his lips.

"Hello," he greeted flatly. "Mind if I borrow some fare money?"

"We don't have any," Daichi, the round-faced brother, hissed, backing away. "Leave us alone...please."

Ritsu stood up then, taking two short strides until he was looming above the cowering brats. He couldn't repress a smile as he looked down and said, "No thank you."

They both sprinted away. He gave chase, his smile growing wider and wider with every step. His theory was right; _this_ was what he'd been missing. When the two attempted to split up and escape into a snowy vacant lot he decided to go after the older brother–the younger one would just hide. A few bounds into a large snowdrift he caught up with his victim and pounced.

Daichi screeched as Ritsu tackled him from behind, throwing snow everywhere as they slammed into the ground. Ritsu flipped him over and started hit him until he felt the boy's glasses crack under his fist. His sadistic grin grew wider.

"Stop–" his victim squealed between punches. He tried to push him away so Ritsu grabbed him by the collar.

"Why should I?!" Ritsu barked. "When you-"

A knee slammed into the side of his head, toppling him sideways. He cursed as he stumbled up, trying to get his bearings, only to get knocked over again. The world briefly spun as he fell, and he was unable to defend himself from the series of punches and kicks that followed. After a few dizzying seconds he finally pushed his attacker off and stumbled back, covering an arm over his face defensively. In front of him stood Kaito, now in a pathetic-looking battle stance.

"Stop it!" the brat cried. "Leave Big Brother Daichi alone!"

Well, Ritsu didn't expect _that._ He glanced over to his left to note that the other twin was still down, barely visible in the snow. He turned his gaze back to the other boy and pushed himself up into a crouch.

"You…" he hissed, jumping forward. "Mother _fucker_!"

His fist slammed into Kaito's jaw with all his weight behind it, knocking him over like a bowling pin. As the kid fell he grabbed his arm and wrenched it hard, eliciting a cry of pain.

"Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?!" Ritsu pulled the boy forward, his fist slamming into the boy's nose, which started to bleed. He cried out louder and Ritsu kneed him in the chest. "Trying to hit _me–_ " he stomped him down, not letting go of the arm, "–you _pathetic–"_ he tugged up, keeping a foot on his chest,. "–piece of _SHIT!_ " Two loud pops echoed as Kaito's elbow and shoulder dislocated, and he screamed in agony. Ritsu let the arm drop and kicked him in the ribs a few times for good measure, not paying attention to the boy's sobs. Then he spat on him and spun around on his heel.

"Don't you _ever_ try to hit me again, you weaklings." he whispered, before stomping away.

By the time Ritsu had finished limping through memory lane, his house was in sight. He straightened up, wiped off the moisture from any melted snow on his face-it had gotten the swelling down nicely-and marched up to the door.

"I'm home," he called out. No one answered.

"I'm _home_ ," he called again, more impatiently. He wanted to get inside and sleep off the rest of his injuries. "C'mon already…"

" _Ritsu Kageyama!_ " his mother's voice shrieked as the door swung abruptly open, startling him. "Get here this instant! I have some _choice_ words for you! Just what on earth did you do at school?!"

Ritsu groaned. "I got into a fight, Mom," he sighed, walking inside. He didn't bother making eye contact, which seemed to anger her even further.

"A fight- _a fight_! Again! And not just any fight, you sent a poor boy to the hospital!"

"He started it," he interjected.

"It doesn't _matter_ who started it!" She shouted back, slamming the door. "Do you know how many times you've almost gotten _expelled?!_ I swear, your father and I lost almost everything in this godforsaken war except you…"

 _Oh boy,_ he thought, rolling his eyes. _Here she goes again._ He tuned her out immediately. As he continued walking, however, she caught him by surprise and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him back.

"Listen to me when I'm ta—"

" _Don't touch me!_ "

He felt the impact of his fist before he registered moving. His mother stumbled back and they stared at each other for a second, eyes wide with shock. Then her nose started to bleed.

"Oh…" she gasped, clutching her nose. "Oh, god...Ritsu…"

She reached out and he bolted upstairs. She kept calling to him, her voice mixed with sobs, and he could hear his father asking what was wrong. He locked his door and shoved a bookshelf in front of it, then collapsed. Downstairs, the shouting was getting louder. They were coming for him. Ritsu covered his ears.

"Ritsu, please, don't do this…"

"How dare you hurt your mother! Get out and face your problems like a man!"

He curled in on himself tighter now. _Stop,_ he pleaded in his mind. _Make it stop._

They didn't stop. For another half an hour the two kept banging on the door, his father demanding and his mother pleading for him to come out. Eventually they both exhausted themselves and left. Ritsu stayed in the fetal position in the middle of his dark, cold, empty room.

"I'm strong…" he whispered to himself through clenched teeth. "I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong _I'm strong I'm strong I'm—_ "

His voice cracked, and he let out a few sputtering gasps. His eyes burned and he squeezed them shut until he could see spots in his vision. No matter what, he would _not_ cry.

After a long time, Ritsu's body relaxed enough that he could move. As he sat up and finally shrugged off his jacket, he heard Mom sobbing downstairs again. He couldn't catch everything, but he made out "Ritsu" and "how could he do this" and "horrible." Dad's voice was low and comforting, no doubt telling her it wasn't her fault. _Idiots._ How could it not be their fault? He chose to be strong, and they kept being so weak, just like his B-

 _Stop._ he bit his chapped lips until he tasted blood. There was enough on his plate right now without worrying about That. As he slowly rose to get his futon, he glanced out the window at the skyline, not missing the hard line on the horizon made by The Wall. He could just barely make out the silhouette of Salt Middle School against the darkening sky.

 _I'm 'horrible', huh?_ Ritsu thought, a tiny smile on his swollen face. _I can work with that…_

The building in the distance was only two short months away. There, he could show the world what a horrible person he really was.


End file.
